14 homemade snacks to take on the road

Cut out the sugary, salty, fatty and down-right unhealthy processed snacks when you head off on your next road trip. These 14 recipes will help put homemade, nutritious snacks in your—and your kids’— hands as you hit the road. From protein bars to roasted chickpeas, you’ll be packing up flavorful treats along with the rest of your luggage.

Cheez-Bits

Here’s a cracker recipe made with real cheese and no fake ingredients or additives. They're easy enough for kids to make, but tasty enough to impress friends at the next office party or get-together. They are especially good with tomato soup, but watch out, they go fast!

Chewy Fruit Granola Bars

These naturally sweet, fiber-rich bars make a great addition to any backpack or road-trip snack bag. Tailor to suit your family’s tastes: To the base mixture of oats, nuts, banana, and applesauce, add your favorite dried fruits in place of cranberries, mango, and kiwi.

Maple-Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

A crunchy treat, these chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are deliciously hard to resist. Chickpeas are naturally full of protein, fiber and antioxidant phytonutrients, so they make snacking downright healthy.

Cinnamon Apple Chips

Almond Cracker Jacks with Sea Salt

This recipe is based on the classic snack that some call America’s first junk food dating back to the late 1800s. We swapped the peanuts for almonds and used flavorful maple syrup and molasses for a sweet crunch. A sprinkle of sea salt gives each bite an updated sweet-salty taste.

Raw Goji Cacao Energy Bars

These raw bars have just six ingredients: almonds, goji berries, cacao nibs, vanilla extract, and date paste. They’ll keep you going on long hikes or road trips without the crash that comes from too much added sugar.

Homemade Lemon-Ginger Gummy Bears

Gelatin, the key ingredient in these homemade gummies, contains collagen, protein and minerals that can help promote healthy skin, hair, nails and bones. The citrus, ginger and honey meld into an addictive, yet nutritious adult treat.

Khorasan Wheat, Almond and Chocolate Bars

These chewy-crunchy cereal bars are simple to make; if individually-wrapped, each square will last for at least a week. Drizzling with a bit of melted white chocolate adds visual appeal. If you're gluten free, this recipe works just as well with puffed brown rice.

Sweet 'n' Sour Kale Chips

These mineral-rich, pop-in-your-mouth crunchies are a low-carb alternative to popcorn, potato chips or French fries. The winning formula? Salty, sour, and sweet. Serve them with Roasted Yam and Onion Dip for a healthful and delicious dipper.